The Doula Reccurence
by TBBT78
Summary: Sequel to The Doula Reaction. Set 20 years in the future. On the day that Penny finds out that she is expecting another baby, her daughter Grace announces her engagement to long term boyfriend Joey. Soon their joy is to be over shadowed by mysterious phone calls and happenings...DISLAIMER: I do not own The Big Bang Theory.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is a sequel to The Doula Reaction which I wrote last year. I still intent to continue with 'The Road Back Home' but felt that I needed to write something a little different for a while. I'm not entirely sure where this will go, but the story will be mainly about Leonard and Penny, but will feature the rest of the gang as well. As always feedback and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Big Bang Theory.**

* * *

Making her way along the hospital hallway toward the elevator Penny's mind was whirling with the news that she'd received from her doctor. It certainly wasn't the bad news that she'd spent the last week mentally preparing herself for, nevertheless it was certainly something which she hadn't foreseen and as such had come as a great shock. Getting into the elevator alone, she pressed the button to take her down to the ground floor before leaning back against the inside wall, closing her eyes and exhaling deeply.

"I'm pregnant" she breathed. "I'm having a baby..."

Saying the words out loud the reality that six months from now she was to become a mother again for the third time finally began to sink in. As the elevator descended, in her Penny's mind drifted back over the conversation with her doctor, recalling how she had used terms such as '_advanced maternal age'_ and _'chromosomal abnormalities' _coupled with lots of numbers and percentages highlighting her increased risk that struck fear into her heart. At the age of 48 she had firmly believed that her childbearing days had come to an end, it had in fact been suspecting that she was beginning menopause that had prompted her to make an appointment with her doctor. Married now to Leonard for twenty years, they had two children. Grace, who was twenty and currently studying to become a nurse and Robert, or Bobby as they called him who had just turned ten. While Penny remembered fondly giving birth to Grace at home in their old apartment in Los Robles Avenue, Bobby's birth had been a stark contrast after he was born prematurely at twenty-six weeks. Reaching the ground floor, Penny blinked back her tears as the elevator doors slid open, even ten years on it was still intensely painful to think back on those first few months after Bobby was born that had been spent almost entirely at the hospital. What's more she had no idea how Leonard was going to react to the news, in so many ways her traumatic birth and Bobby's subsequent battle for life had hit him the hardest. Heading for the exit out to the parking lot, Penny decided to call into the hospital gift store to pick up a bottle of water for the ride home, but upon entering the found herself gravitating towards a shelf filled with teddy bears available in either pink or blue.

"Girl or boy?" an unexpected voice from behind her chorused, bringing Penny out of her reverie.

"Huh? Oh Jake...hi." she stammered, turning to come face to face with her friend Jake. "I was just er...visiting a friend. How are you?"

"Oh I'm fine. I didn't expect to see you here today." Jake answered, as a qualified doula and part time EMT the local hospital was practically his second home. "One of my clients just had a baby boy. It's a real sweet story, they've been trying for years for a baby and had given up when she got pregnant." Jake beamed. "Her husband is completely over the moon, he won't stop hugging me."

Penny returned Jake's smile. "Yeah that's so lovely" she agreed.

"So it looks like I'm gonna make over to Bernadette and Howard's later after all." Jake continued, referring to the party that Bernadette and Howard were hosting later that day in honour of their son Joey who was coming home for a visit from his college in Chicago. "It'll be great to catch up with Joey again. I can't believe he and Grace are twenty now."

Born on the exact same day, Grace and Joey had been inseparable whilst growing up and had been boyfriend and girlfriend for longer than anyone could remember. Taking after Howard's father, Joey had turned out to be an exceptionally talented musician and was currently studying for a degree at a prestigious performing arts college in Chicago. Penny had first met Jake when Bernadette hired him as her doula when she was pregnant with Joey. Shortly afterwards however, Jake had decided to return to New York to be nearer to his daughter Anna, but had returned to Pasadena after Anna got a place in a college in Los Angeles.

"So is it a boy or a girl?" Jake asked, returning to his original question.

"Huh?"

"You were looking at the '_congratulations it's a boy/girl'_ teddy bears. Logic says you're probably here to visit someone who's just had a baby." Jake said.

"Oh...a boy..yeah she had a boy." Penny replied, unusually flummoxed but what was a straight forward question.

"Well, I'm heading back up to the maternity unit now, why don't we walk together?" Jake suggested, as he selected a can of soda from a refrigerator and handed over some coins to the assistant behind at the cash register.

Penny bit down on her lip, buying herself a few additional seconds of thinking time. "Actually I think I'll come back tomorrow." She said, feigning a change of mind. "You know how it is when you've just had a baby the last thing you want is to be inundated with visitors! Anyway I just remembered Bobby has a sleep over at his friends tonight. So I really need to get home to get him ready."

"Ok, well I'll guess I'll see you later then." Jake said, his goodbye met with a blank expression from Penny. "You know at Bernadette and Howard's party." he reminded.

"Oh yeah sure. Of course." Penny chuckled, rolling her eyes at her own forgetfulness.

Concerned Jake asked if anything was ok. He hadn't seen her in a while, but she seemed very preoccupied that day.

"Oh sure. I'm absolutely fine. I'll see you later." She answered , hurrying off initially in the wrong direction, needing to correct herself by swiftly pivoting on her heels, finally locating the exit.

Out in the parking lot, with a smile plastered on her face Penny strode purposefully toward her car. It was a beautiful warm day in early April and the cars in the lot glistened with the rays from the mid-afternoon sunshine. She had just unlocked her car and was about to get in, when she felt a firm tap on her shoulder.

"It is you isn't it?" a shrill voice enquired.

As a well-known soap actress Penny was accustomed to being recognised whilst out in public, although she had hoped that the sunglasses that she'd worn that day might have helped conceal her identity. While she was always happy to chat to fans and sign autographs in shopping malls and restaurants, she preferred to be anonymous when going about personal business such as going to see her doctor.

"You're Paige McIntyre aren't you?" the voice repeated, addressing Penny by her character's name.

Turning around Penny discovered that the voice belonged to an elderly lady, who from the pink and white striped tabard and name badge that she wore guessed was a volunteer at the hospital.

"I have to tell you honey, you could do so much better than that dog of a husband... I mean an attractive woman like you, you could have your pick of the men.." she ranted, wagging her finger. Confused, for a moment Penny thought that the woman was berating Leonard, before realising that she was actually referring to her on-screen husband Troy, who in her twenty year stint playing his wife had had numerous affairs.

Penny chuckled. "Oh I can assure you Marjorie" she said, reading from her name badge. "The actor who plays Troy, Douglas Black, he's a _really_ nice man. He and his family come over to my house all the time for pool parties and during the holidays."

"It's never too late to get rid of him you know." the woman continued, so intent on giving out her advice that she was oblivious to every word that Penny had just said. "I was married for forty years and when I found my husband had cheated on me I kicked him out, but not before I cut up all his suits into tiny pieces..." she said, imitating a scissor action with her fingers.

"Well that's a nice story Marjorie." Penny acknowledged politely, while desperately trying to suppress a laugh. "I'll be sure to give it some thought."

"You mark my words, he'll never change!" the woman yelled through cupped hands as Penny reversed out of the parking space. "They never do!"

No longer able to stop herself from smiling Penny waved goodbye.

* * *

When Leonard returned home from work later that afternoon he found the house to be uncharacteristically quiet, greeted only by Albert (named after Einstein), their pet Labrador who came bounding out of the living room with his tail wagging frantically. Bending down, Leonard stroked him.

"Hey buddy where is everyone?" he asked. Setting his briefcase down in the downstairs hall and pausing to loosen his tie in the hall mirror, he climbed the stairs, entering into the bedroom to find Penny sat at her dressing table wearing the silk ivory robe that he had brought her as a gift the previous Christmas.

"Hi honey. How was your day?" she asked, running a brush through her freshly washed hair. "How did your meeting with the university board go?"

"Much better than I thought." Leonard replied, smiling at the captivating image of his wife, who to him had only become more radiant and beautiful with age. "It looks like we've secured the funding that we need for the experimental physics department this year." he told her. At fifty-three, Leonard wore the same hipster glasses that he always had, his brown wavy hair had however receded slightly and nowadays was flecked with tiny strands of grey.

"That's great sweetie." Penny said, swivelling around on the dressing table chair to face him. "I'm pleased for you. I know how worried you've been recently."

Glancing down at the bed Leonard noticed the presence of Grace and Bobby's baby photo album. After getting back home from the hospital Penny had spent a while looking over old photos, remembering what it was like in the first few months as a new Mom after Grace and Bobby were born. It was then that she had decided that she would break the news to Leonard that night after returning home from the party.

"Where are the kids?" Leonard asked, reminded again of how unusually quiet the house had been when he had stepped through the front door.

"Bobby is having a sleep over at his friends and Grace has gone to pick up Joey from the airport and said she will meet us over at Bernadette and Howard's house." She told him.

"Oh, so I guess that means we have the place to ourselves for once." Leonard said in a husky voice, from behind his hands found their way to the tie on Penny's robe, loosening it, allowing it to slip from her shoulders. Knowing exactly what her husband had in mind Penny responded with a pleasured moan. Even now she still got butterflies in her stomach when he kissed her.

"Leonard, you know we're gonna be late for the party if you don't shower soon." she breathed, instantly aroused by the sensation of his soft and sensual kisses on her neck. "Grace will be staying with Joey tonight so we'll _still_ have the place to ourselves _all night"_ She reasoned, with a playful wink.

Sighing with exaggerated irritation, Leonard pulled off his already loosened tie before walking over to the bed, picking up the photo album.

"I almost forgot that I wore Aquaman swim shorts that day." He remarked, grinning at the photo of him and Penny in the birthing tub taken minutes after Grace was born.

"It was your big _surprise_ remember? You didn't care that the midwife saw you wearing them and knew how nerdy you were.." Penny laughed, throwing her head back.

"No I think the_ big_ surprise was the fact that you proposed to me in the birthing tub." Leonard corrected.

"Ok as far as surprises go I guess I do win." Penny conceded.

Smiling together at the memory, Leonard then turned the album page and grimaced at a photo of Bobby also taken shortly after he was born, but in his case he was in an incubator, his tiny body obscured by a multitude of wires and tubes.

"Even though we have a happy healthy little boy now it's still so hard to think of our son being so sick isn't it?" Penny sighed, sadly. Although, from her seat at the dressing table she couldn't see the photo, she could tell from Leonard's pained expression that he had found one of the early pictures of Bobby.

"I really thought we were gonna loose him Penny." Leonard admitted, turning his attention again to look at the picture before closing the album and replacing it on the nightstand. "You know I had some scary experiences when I was out on that boat in the North Sea in the summer of 2013, but nothing compares to how frightened I was when I got the call from the studio that day to say that you'd been taken to the hospital.."

"I know, but we were both fine in the end." Penny said gently, getting up from the dressing table she came over to sit beside her husband on the bed, taking his hand in hers. "We did a great job Leonard. We have two wonderful children and I wouldn't change that for the world." She told him.

"Yeah we did." Leonard agreed. "Although, I have to say sometimes I do look forward to the day when Bobby's grown up and we can have some more time to ourselves. You know maybe take that trip to Europe that we've always talked about..." as his voice trailed off amidst wishful thoughts of Paris and Rome, Penny looked away.

"What is it honey?" he asked, sensing her unease.

"Nothing. I just noticed the time." she answered in a casual tone, pointing at the digital alarm clock on the nightstand which indicated that they had less than half an hour to get ready and get over to Howard and Bernadette's house. "We're gonna be s_ooo_ late if you don't get a move on." She added with a gentle shove to get him up. Rising to his feet, Leonard walked around the side of the bed in the direction of their en-suite bathroom.

"I love you Hofstadter." Penny said, just as he reached the bathroom door. "We make a great team you and me."

"Team Lenny." Leonard grinned, it was their couple's name that Amy had coined shortly after they had gotten engaged. "And I love you too.."

Little did he know it, but his life as he knew it was about to be turned upside down..

* * *

"Its Joey." Bernadette announced excitedly, reading aloud the text message on her cell phone. "He says he and Grace are on their way here from the airport."

From his spot huddled around the barbecue with Jake and Howard, sipping beer and flipping burgers, Leonard had been keeping a careful watch on Penny as she chatted with Bernadette at the table beside the swimming pool. Catching his eye every now and then she would smile reassuringly, but Leonard was convinced that something was bothering her. After twenty years of marriage and twenty-seven years knowing each other, he could read her like a book. Aside from being incredibly quiet in the car on the ride over, she hadn't touched the glass of white wine that Bernadette had poured her, as far as Leonard was concerned even that fact alone pointed to something being amiss.

"You might want to flip those burgers over now Leonard." Howard said. "I prefer my meat a little less cremated."

Breaking out of his thoughts, Leonard picked up the barbecue tongs and proceeded to turn the now slightly singed burgers.

"Are you ok Leonard? You seem a little worried about something." Jake observed.

"He's probably just worried about getting food poisoning from my cooking." Howard joked with a boyish grin, downing the last dregs of his beer he disappeared inside the house to fetch some more bottles.

"Is everything ok with Penny?" Jake continued, it hadn't escaped his notice that Penny didn't appear her usual bubbly self, from what he could see Bernadette seemed to be doing most of the talking, while Penny listened with a distant expression on her face.

"Actually I am little concerned about her." Leonard began. "She seemed ok earlier, but since we got in the car to come over here she's barely said a word."

"Yeah, she did seem a bit distracted today when I ran into her at the hospital." Jake said, recalling their earlier encounter in the gift store.

"Penny was at the hospital?" Leonard questioned, unable to conceal his surprise.

"Yeah. She said she was visiting a friend that just had a baby, but then she changed her mind. She left in a bit of a hurry actually."

Leonard thought hard, his work schedule had been hectic of late and he knew that he'd been preoccupied, but he was sure he didn't recall Penny mentioning a pregnant friend that was about to give birth. Before Leonard could speak Penny got up and began to swoon as though beset by a sudden bout of dizziness, forcing her to grab the table in an effort to stay on her feet.

"Honey what is it?" Leonard exclaimed, quickly approaching his wife, who aided by Bernadette was lowering herself back down into the chair.

"She nearly fainted." Bernadette said, turning to address a concerned Leonard.

Penny giggled. "I didn't nearly faint." She scoffed. "I've just a bit too much wine on an empty stomach that's all."

On Leonard's insistence that he examine her, Jake dashed to fetch his medical bag from the trunk of his car. Escorting Penny inside and into the cool sanctuary of the air conditioned den, he proceeded to take her blood pressure and pulse, finding her blood pressure normal, but noting that her heart rate was slightly quicker than normal.

"See I told you I'm ok. It was just a combination of the wine and the heat." Penny said knowingly after Jake had left the room, leaving her alone on the couch with Leonard.

"Sweetheart, why didn't you tell me you were at the hospital today?" Leonard began, taking Penny's hand and kissing it, keen to impress the fact that he wasn't mad at her, he just needed to not be in the dark. "Jake seems to think you were visiting a friend, but I don't think that's true is it?"

Penny had no intention of lying to Leonard, but somehow it didn't seem like the right time or place to break the news to him.

"Honey can we do this later please?" she asked, with pleading eyes. "Joey and Grace and everyone else will be arriving soon. It's a party let's not spoil it."

Leonard shook his head. "No I'm sorry. I need to know now Penny." he said firmly, his eyes full of concern.

Relenting, Penny admitted that she had been at the hospital for an appointment with her doctor to get the results of some tests which she'd had recently. "The only reason I didn't tell you was because of how stressed out at work you've been..." she insisted, although seeing how upset Leonard was now and realising that if the situation was reversed she'd react in exactly the same, she now regretted her decision not to tell him.

"Honey _nothing_ is more important than you and the kids." Leonard said, with emphasis. "_Absolutely nothing. _You guys are my world you know that."

"I know. I'm sorry." Penny whispered.

Concerned that his greatest fear was about to realised. Leonard swallowed hard, steeling himself for what was to come. "So what did your doctor say?" he asked. Bowing her head, Penny began to cry softly, sending Leonard into a fresh wave of panic.

"Oh my God its cancer isn't it?" he said a single breath, gently brushing her hair away from her face to reveal her tear stained cheeks. "Please just tell me honey. Whatever it is I'm here for you."

"I' not sick Leonard." Penny wept, keen to quickly reassure him. "I'm pregnant..."

There was a silence. Outside on the driveway a car horn sounded several times as Grace pulled up with Joey beside her in the passenger seat.

"I don't understand.. how?." Leonard murmured quietly.

"After two children I would have thought you'd be familiar with the process." Penny said, smiling through her tears, dabbing her eyes with the corner of a tissue that she'd just removed from the box on the coffee table.

"What I mean is I didn't think it was possible anymore?... And besides we're always so careful.."

Even without stating it outright Penny knew that Leonard was referring to her age and the likelihood of them conceiving naturally.

"Well apparently _it is_ possible." She responded pointedly. "Particularly when you've been recreating the events of October 2012 with your husband in his lab."

Leonard thought back, realising that a full three months had passed since Penny had surprised him wearing a raincoat and not much underneath one evening while he'd been working late. Pausing to clear his throat first Leonard spoke. "What about the increased risks?" he said. "Your doctor must have discussed them with you."

Penny nodded. "Yes she did. I'm booked in for an amniocentesis next month" She calmly told him, in truth it frightened her to death, but she was determined to maintain a cool composure.

"And what about the other risks? Did she talk about placenta Previa?..going into labour early?...needing to undergo a C-section?..."

"Please Leonard. Do we have to do this now?" Penny interjected. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I don't think now is the right time or place. We'll have plenty of time to talk about this later."

"And what about the kids?" Leonard continued, ignoring Penny's pleas to postpone the conversation until a more appropriate time.

"What about them?"

"Well this affects them too. Doesn't it?"

"I should imagine they'll be really pleased when we tell them that they're gonna have a new baby brother or sister." Penny answered, not totally sure where Leonard was heading with his remarks, but nevertheless feeling uneasy.

"Sweetheart you nearly _died _giving birth to our son." Leonard stated, raising his voice slightly to make his point. Despite the fact that Penny had very little recollection of the birth itself, she had by no means forgotten the seriousness of her condition back then and how she had hovered between life and death in the ICU for three days. Just then there was a loud knock on the door of the den.

"Mom.. Dad?"

Opening the door ajar, Grace appeared. With dark wavy hair and brown eyes, in appearance she took after her father, while her quick witted and occasionally fiery temperament were very much characteristics that she had inherited from her mother.

"Mom, Jake said you had a bit of a turn? Are you ok?" she asked.

"I'm fine sweetie. It was just the heat that was all." Penny answered, with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Are you sure?" Grace pressed, noticing that her father appeared unnerved and tense.

"Absolutely. You know how your father always overreacts!" Penny joked, gently nudging Leonard in the ribs. Assured by her mother's jovial manner, Grace smiled with relief.

"Ok well that's good, everyone's here now Mom." She said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Joey and I have something we'd like to share with you all..."

A few minutes later Leonard and Penny had joined the rest of their friends who were gathered outside by the pool, where Joey was preparing to make an announcement. By now everyone apart from Raj, who had texted to say he was running late had arrived.

"Is this gonna take long? Cos I'm starving." Leonard overheard Sheldon moan, prompting Amy to silence him by slapping him lightly on the arm. Despite being married to Amy for several years, there were some aspects of Sheldon's personality that had never changed.

"Ok well I know everyone's keen to eat." Joey began, gazing around and seeing the faces of all the people he loved and cared about. "So I promise I'll keep this short. A few weeks back Grace came to Chicago to visit me for the weekend. I don't think I have to tell you guys that Grace and I have known each other all our lives and that we've loved each other all our lives too."

"Oh that's so romantic." Amy gushed, pressing her hand to her chest, shooting a sideways glance at her husband, who looked unimpressed by Joey's outward display of affection for his girlfriend.

"Anyways." Joey continued, slipping his arm around Grace's waist, pulling her near. "With that all in mind I decided to ask Grace to be my wife...and thankfully she said yes."

"We're getting married!" Grace burst out, revealing her left hand with a small yet beautiful diamond ring. "Isn't that awesome?"


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Big Bang Theory.**

Rolling over in bed that night, Penny awoke to find Leonard's side of the bed empty. Switching on the bedside lamp, she got up and put on her robe and slippers before making her way out into the upstairs hall and down the stairs. Nearing the foot of the stairs she could see the light from the living room filtering out from beneath the door and could hear the muffled sound of the TV. Sighing, her mind wandered back to the events of that evening, Leonard hadn't taken well to the news of Grace and Joey's engagement, insisting that they were to young and questioning them as to how they would afford to live given that they were both still in full time education. What Grace and Joey had hoped would turn into a celebration had quickly descended into yelling, culminating in their daughter threatening defiantly to run off to Las Vegas to get married. Pushing open the door to the living room Penny ventured inside finding Leonard perched on the edge of the couch, the TV remote in his hand and Albert their pet Labrador, curled up asleep by his feet. Hot by day, the night time had brought a distinct chilliness and she couldn't help but smile at the image of her husband wrapped in the worn out blue snuggie that he refused to throw away.

"Sweetie are you ok?" Penny yawned. "It's almost 3am." Turning her attention to the TV she saw that he was watching the home DVD of Grace and Joey's Walt Disney themed tenth birthday party.

"I couldn't sleep. Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No you didn't wake me." Penny said, padding over to join him on their leather couch with its assortment of brightly coloured cushions. Lifting his arm, Leonard beckoned her to snuggle up to him beneath the blanket, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. "It's been an eventful day huh?" she added, after eventually getting comfortable.

Leonard nodded and for a few minutes they cuddled in silence, engrossing themselves in the DVD.

"Hey, do you remember how Grace insisted on dressing up as Sleeping Beauty for a whole month after you told her about that time you played hooky with the girls and went to Disneyland?" Leonard said, grinning at the memory of how Grace had spent weeks telling literally everyone she encountered that she was going to be a Princess when she grew up.

"Uh-huh. It was such a struggle to get her to take that costume off." Penny chuckled. "And she made Joey dress up as her Prince. I reckon the only reason he wore that costume was to make her happy."

Focusing again on the TV, Penny slipped her hand into Leonard's, their fingers intertwining as they watched footage of Grace and Joey being presented with a birthday cake while their friends sang to them.

"She's grown up so fast." Leonard remarked, with unmistakeable sadness. "It only seems like yesterday she was playing out in the yard on her swing and now.."

"And now she's getting married." Penny cut in, completing his sentence for him. "I know I feel it too. Our little girl is all grown up and about to leave home. I'll admit I would have preferred if they could have waited until they'd both finished their education, but they're so determined to do this Leonard and I really don't think we should try and stand in their way. We have to face it Grace is not a kid anymore."

There was a short pause in the conversation as Penny chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip. "You know in some ways I wish I'd been more like Grace at her age, sure of what I wanted and not afraid to commit."

After announcing their engagement at the party, Grace had made known her decision to move to Chicago with Joey in the fall, where she planned complete the final year of her nursing degree and sit the NCLEX examination. For Leonard, coming to terms with his daughter getting married and leaving the family home was difficult enough, but knowing that she'd be moving two thousand miles away tore at his heart.

"Yeah, I guess I over reacted." Leonard conceded, ashamed by the way he had publically berated Joey for not seeking his approval prior to proposing. His words had served to infuriate Grace, who had been quick to point out that as adults, they didn't need his permission. "All they wanted was for me to give them my blessing and I didn't." Leonard said, sadly.

"Talk to her tomorrow sweetie." Penny urged, kissing his cheek. "She's always been a Daddy's girl, I don't think she'll stay mad at you for long."

Falling silent, Leonard and Penny's attention was drawn back to the DVD which had moved on from the blowing out of candles to the party games. A pregnant Penny was sitting cross-legged on the living room floor alongside Bernadette participating in pass the parcel while Leonard and Howard controlled the music. Being reminded of the fun and laughter of that day, it was heart breaking for them to know that two weeks later Penny had gone into premature labour, literally turning their whole world upside down.

"Leonard, I know you're scared about me being pregnant again." Penny whispered, her eyes glistening with tears. "And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared too, but even after everything that my doctor said today about my increased risks, I still _really _want this baby and I'm so happy." she said."It's like our little miracle."

Choked with emotion, Leonard placed his hand on Penny's belly, his fingers finding their way underneath her pyjama top and onto her silky smooth skin.

"Penny I _do_ want this baby." he said softy, using his thumb from his other hand to wipe away the single tear that was falling down her cheek. "He or she is part of both of us, how could I not want that? It's just the thought of something going wrong again.." he added, his voice trailing off, being faced with the possibility of a repeat of Bobby's traumatic birth was almost to painful to comprehend.

Witnessing the full extent of her husband's distress, Penny found herself wishing that she could assure him that everything was going to be alright, but she couldn't. At her age and with her history there was every reason to be concerned. The next six months were undoubtedly going to be a mixture of joy and apprehension.

"Thank you Leonard." She breathed; to have it confirmed that he felt the same about their unborn child meant everything to her.

For a time Leonard and Penny discussed the baby, agreeing that that they wanted to wait until they'd had the results of the amniocentesis before breaking the news to everyone.

"You know, I'm not sure whether having the wedding in the fall before the baby comes is such a good idea." Leonard mused, reverting back to being the concerned expectant father who could foresee the mother of the bride taking a lead role in the wedding preparations. "You know how stressful weddings can be." he commented, by no means had he forgotten the numerous meltdowns Penny had had during the meticulous planning of their own wedding.

"Well, why don't we hire a wedding planner?" Penny suggested, pretending to have just hit upon the idea, when in fact she had already hit upon the idea during the ride home from the party. "I'm sure Howard and Bernadette will agree to it, that way it takes a lot of the organising away from Grace and me." She said, stifling a weary yawn.

Leonard nodded his agreement. Not wanting preparations for the wedding to interfere too much with either Grace or Joey's studies was as an additional consideration and unlike twenty years ago when they themselves had got married, Penny's substantial income now meant that they could certainly afford to hire a wedding planner.

"Now all I need to do is make amends with my daughter and future son-in-law." Leonard concluded with a heavy sigh of regret.

Hearing the sound of gentle snoring, Leonard tilted his head to find Penny sleeping peacefully in his arms. Carefully scooping her up, he carried her upstairs, laying her down on the bed and pulling the comforter up over her. Switching off the lamp he then clambered in beside her, his movement causing Penny to stir briefly as he snuggled toward her.

"I love you Penny." She heard him say, sending her thoughts drifting off to the time that he'd first told her that he loved her while in bed in her old apartment, only then afraid of her feelings she had replied with a 'thank you'. Not now.

"Mmmm I love you too Hofstadter." She murmured sleepily.

And together they fell into blissful sleep.

* * *

Zipping up the hoodie top that she wore over her nurse scrubs, Grace waved goodbye enthusiastically to the nurse behind the reception desk before making her along the hall headed for the exit. It was her second week of her practice placement in the ER and although it was a challenging and fast paced environment in which to gain clinical experience, she was relishing every minute. Now in her third week, she was sure that she wanted to specialise in emergency nursing once she had qualified. Checking her cell phone for the first time since morning, Grace realised that she had a missed call and several follow up text messages from her father asking her to call him back. With an irritated sigh she pocketed the phone and hurried toward the automatic door that led out to the ambulance bay.

"Hey Grace."

Hearing her name being called Grace turned to see Jake wearing his EMT uniform a few paces behind, pushing an empty gurney.

"Hi Jake."

"How's your practice placement going?" he asked, coming to a stop beside her, although he'd caught sight of her several times that day this was the first opportunity he had had to actually speak with her.

"Really good thanks. I got to do my first IV insertion today." Grace stated, beaming proudly. "My preceptor says she's really pleased with my progress so far."

"That's awesome Grace. I'm glad to hear it."

Staring down at her sneakers Grace decided that she wanted to utilise their chance meeting to bring up the subject of her engagement, asking Jake for his opinion.

"Honestly, after two failed marriages I really don't think I'm the best person to be asking Grace." he explained, which sadly for him was true, but at the same time he was keen to avoid getting caught in the middle of a father/daughter feud. "He may have been a bit harsh on you both, but I do understand where your Dad's coming from Grace, it's not easy for us fathers seeing our daughters growing up, dating guys, leaving home.." he reeled off, thinking all the while of his own daughter Anna, who was some years older than Grace, but had yet to a marry or commit to a serious relationship. "He loves you Grace. Marriage is a big deal. I think it's perfectly understandable for him to be concerned about you."

"But you don't think we're too young to get married do you?" Grace pressed, determined to get Jake on side. "He totally over reacted don't you think? ...I'm not a child anymore...I know we don't have much money, but we'll survive somehow and the way he spoke to Joey he was so condescending!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation "You know my Dad can be such a complete jerk sometimes."

With her back to the entrance Grace hadn't seen Leonard entering into the hall behind her, nor had she realised that he had been listening to her angry tirade, overhearing her refer to him as a jerk.

"How about giving this jerk a chance to explain..." he said.

* * *

Somewhat begrudgingly Grace accepted her father's offer and ten minutes later they were settled in a leather upholstered booth at the diner across the street from the hospital. Sitting opposite his daughter, Leonard listened to the slurping sounds as she sucked the dregs of her chocolate milkshake through a straw. Looking up from the now empty glass, Grace caught him smirking to himself.

"Daddy why are you smiling?" she questioned, unable to fathom what was amusing him so much.

"You've always liked chocolate milkshakes." Leonard remarked, fortunately Grace hadn't inherited his lactose intolerance and as such chocolate milkshakes had been her favourite beverage for as long as he could remember. "It's nice to know that some things don't change that's all."

Just then the waitress reappeared with a jug to refill Leonard's coffee cup.

"Grace, I want to apologise for what I said to you and Joey last night." he said after the waitress had walked away taking the empty milkshake glass with her. "I know I over reacted, you're a grown woman and I shouldn't have tried to lay down the law, it's just.." Leonard paused to take a breath, although he had rehearsed what he wanted to say, the conversation was proving much harder than he had anticipated. "No matter how old you get, you'll always be my little girl. Joey's a good man and I know he'll take care of you, but.."

"But what?" Grace prompted impatiently after experiencing yet another hesitation on her father's part.

"But there's a part of me doesn't want to let you go. " Leonard opened up, fiddling nervously with his napkin. "And yet, I know that I have to. To be honest ever since I first held you in my arms on the day you were born I've been dreading the day when you'd l finally leave home, it's like I'm losing you."

"Daddy I'm only moving to Chicago, not to the moon or something. It's an airplane ride away." Grace insisted, stopping short of rolling her eyes, if she was honest, she was worried too about how much she'd end up missing her family and friends. "You can come visit as often as you want and Joey and I will come back home when we can."

Extending his arm across the table Leonard took hold of his daughter's hand. It was then she began to really notice the sadness in his eyes.

"You and Mom will be ok after I'm gone won't you Daddy?" she questioned, cocking her head to one side, eyeing her father with concern.

"Sure. We'll be fine honey. Don't you worry about us." Leonard assured, forcing a smile entirely for her benefit and then taking a sip from his coffee.

"And you will give me away on my wedding day?" Grace asked, raising her eyebrows expectantly. Even though it was entirely unfounded, after his initial reaction it had crossed her mind that he may not be willing to give her away.

"Sweetheart of course I will. I'm so proud of you."

The waitress arrived with the check and for a while Grace talked excitedly about her plans for the wedding until she was interrupted by a call from Joey on her cell phone. They had arranged to meet after her shift and he was anxious to find out where she was and whether she'd spoken with her father. Unbeknown to Grace, Leonard had already called Joey to apologise and to give him his blessing and had invited him and his parents over for dinner on Sunday to celebrate their engagement.

"Thanks for talking to Joey Daddy. You're the best." Grace said as she hung up the call to her fiancé.

"Oh I'm the best now am I? Half an hour ago I was a complete jerk." Leonard joked, depositing a note from his wallet on the table.

Slipping on her hoodie top, Grace got up from the table in a hurry to leave and drive over to Joey's house."You're _always_ the best." She added with a knowing smile, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for the milkshake."

And with a heavy heart Leonard watched his daughter leave.

* * *

Arriving home and stepping in through the front door, Leonard could hear Bobby playing in the living room with the model train set that Sheldon and Amy had brought him for his last birthday. Much to Sheldon's delight, Bobby also shared his passion for all things train related and he and Amy would often day him on days out where they would ride trains together. Poking his head around the door, he grinned at the sight of his son kneeling on the carpet, staring intently at the train that was puffing steam as it circled the track. By his side, watching also with keen interest was Albert, who barked each time the train disappeared and remerged from inside the tunnel.

"Look Daddy! Uncle Sheldon came over after school to help me set up my train set... come play with me and Albert." Bobby exclaimed, beckoning him excitedly.

Discovering that Sheldon had helped Bobby set up his train set Leonard experienced a pang of guilt, remembering that he had promised to help Bobby several several weeks ago, but had been too preoccupied with his work to find the time.

"Ok, let me just say hi to your Mom first." Leonard responded, bending over to ruffle his son's hair playfully. "Good job Bobby." He praised.

"Uncle Sheldon did most of it." Bobby said, focussing on his train that was about to come to a stop at a station, blowing the whistle that hung around his neck.

Wandering out to the kitchen in search of Penny, Leonard found her standing over the chopping board preparing the salad for their evening meal, wearing her '_Mom's_ _Kitchen'_ apron the strings neatly tied at the small of her back.

"Hi Sweetheart." he said, heading first to the refrigerator to fetch a bottle of water. "You'll be pleased to know that I've sorted things out with Grace and Joey. I've invited them all over here on Sunday for dinner I hope you don't mind..."

It was then that Leonard noticed that the kitchen radio wasn't playing as it normally would be, usually with Penny singing cheerfully along to it as she went about her chores.

"Penny honey are you ok?" he enquired, abandoning his bottle of water on the kitchen table.

Getting no response Leonard approached her from behind, placing his hand on her shoulder, noticing her red puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks.

"Sweetheart you've been crying." he said with concern.

"Oh it's just these damned onions." Penny dismissed, tearing off a piece of kitchen paper from a roll, using it to wipe her eyes. As an actress Penny knew how to deliver a line and how to convince an audience, but the one person in her life that she could never fool was Leonard. Watching her dab at her eyes, suddenly it dawned on him that something was wrong with the baby, sending him into a wave of panic.

"Honey is it the baby?" he asked, fearful of what she might say. With no answers forthcoming, Leonard proceeded to extricate the chopping knife from Penny's tightly gripped fingers, guiding her to sit on a chair at the kitchen table. Crouching in front of her, she lent forward to rest her head on his shoulder, her tears soaking into his shirt as he stroked her hair.

"Penny, please tell me what's wrong." he whispered softly into her ear.

Sitting back in the chair, Penny wiped away her tears with the piece of kitchen paper that was balled up in her hand. She wanted to share her sorrow with him, but was struggling to find the words to begin. Closing her eyes, she took a deep in breath to regain her composure.

"The producers of the show have decided not to renew my contract." She finally told him in a quiet, shaky voice.

Leonard's eyes widened with dismay, he vaguely recalled Penny mentioning that she had a meeting with the show's producers that day, but after the news of her pregnancy and Grace and Joey's engagement it had slipped his mind.

"What...why?" Leonard gasped.

Aware of the slump in the show's ratings over recent months, Penny was anticipating the announcement of an explosive storyline, but never did she imagine that her character would be facing the axe. Even when invited into the executive board room with its walls adorned with dozens of photographs of her character taken throughout the years did it cross her mind that this was the end of the road for Paige McIntyre. Penny had sat in stunned silence as Jonathan one of the executive producers, had outlined the plot in which her character was to meet her demise, killed in a traffic collision along with three other characters after finding out about her husband's latest affair. The following season was to see the introduction of several new younger characters, which it was hoped would help boost the ratings and secure new viewers.

"Oh honey I'm so sorry." Leonard said, after Penny had finished telling him what to her was truly devastating news. After twenty years, the cast and crew were more like her second family than merely work colleagues.

"Leonard what am I gonna do?" Penny sobbed as Leonard pulled her into his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

**Many thanks for the reviews/favourites so far! As always much appreciated!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Big Bang Theory.**

Watching Penny from the kitchen doorway Leonard's heart skipped a beat as he was reminded of her breath taking beauty. Not yet showing signs of being pregnant, she was dressed in a black leather pencil skirt, cream silk blouse and a pearl necklace, her golden hair tied up in a chignon. It astounded him that despite the worries and stresses of that week she still managed to look radiant. It was Sunday evening and the guests for Grace and Joey's engagement dinner were due to be arriving shortly, determined that the evening go off without a hitch, Penny was going over last minute details with Marlena their housekeeper.

"Don't you worry Mrs Hofstadter, everything will be just." Marlena said to an anxious Penny who had begun to fiddle nervously her pearl necklace. "You just go enjoy yourself with your friends, yes?"

Reassured by the simmering pans on the hob and the delicious smell of the roast lamb in the oven Penny nodded. "Thank you Marlena. What would I do without you?" She said. "I just want this evening to be perfect." She added, chewing nervously on her bottom lip as she caught sight of the kitchen clock that now read 7pm, indicating the imminent arrival of their guests.

"Come on honey. Let Marlena get on with the cooking." Leonard coaxed, venturing into the kitchen to take Penny by the hand, steering her in the direction the living room. For Penny, throwing herself into the planning the engagement dinner party had been a much welcome distraction from the events of that week, now all that remained was for it all go as planned and for Grace and Joey to have the engagement party they deserved. Leonard had just finished pouring himself a glass of red wine and an orange juice for Penny, when Bobby came bounding into the room with Albert at his heels.

"Look at you!" Penny exclaimed, crouching down to straighten his tie.

"Mommy, do I have to wear this? I look like a dawk." he protested, tugging at the neatly pressed shirt that Penny had insisted that he wear for the occasion.

"Bobby you look very handsome." Penny reassured her son, tapping him lightly on the nose after adjusting his tie. "You're sister will be very pleased that you've made such an effort."

Bobby had just opened his mouth about to protest when the doorbell rang, heralding the arrival of Howard, Bernadette and Joey. While the group of friends exchanged fond greetings in the hall, Grace appeared at the top of the staircase wearing the red chiffon dress that she had purchased on a shopping trip with Penny the day before.

"Grace. You look beautiful." Joey breathed, as she quickly descended stairs. Forgetting that they were being watched by both sets of parents, he pulled his fiancé into his passionate embrace.

Clearing his throat Leonard spoke, breaking the sense of awkwardness which had descended on the hall. "Ok, so dinner will be ready shortly shall we..." he said, ushering his guests toward the dining room and the elegantly laid table that Penny had covered with a crisp white linen table cloth, upon which there were cream roses as a centrepiece and candles in opaque vases. Once inside the room Marlena appeared behind them holding a tray of champagne flutes, prompting Leonard to propose a toast to the newly engaged couple. It was then that he noticed the additional place set at the table.

"It's for my friend Joy." Bernadette began, sipping her champagne, oblivious to the look of horror upon Leonard's face at the mention of her name. "She's been a bit lonely since her divorce, so I thought tonight would be fun for her."

"Perhaps we should seat her next to Jake." Leonard hastily interrupted, nervously downing his champagne in one gulp. "They're both single you never know they could hit it off.."

"Oh sweetie, I don't think Jake's looking to get hooked up with anyone right now." Penny said, seemingly bemused by her husband's insistence on seating Joy elsewhere. At that moment the doorbell rang again, this time signalling the arrival of Amy, Sheldon and Raj and five minutes later of Jake. With everyone present except for Joy, Leonard and Penny invited their guests to take their places at the table.

"Joy says she's running a little late." Bernadette said after checking her cell phone. "She's just finished up at the gym; she'll be here soon though."

Excusing himself from the table in order to fetch another bottle of wine, Leonard signalled to Howard to follow him.

"Are you ok buddy? You seem a little tense." Howard remarked as the two men made their way down to the basement, that in addition to housing the washing machine and dryer, doubled up as a wine cellar.

"You remember Joy and I dated once right?" Leonard said, unable to conceal his acute sense of panic.

"Of course, you invoked the 'girlfriend pact' and we all went on that double date, but that was years ago..." Howard smiled, remembering the date at the restaurant which at the time Leonard had stated was the worst of his entire life.

"I know, but I went with her to her sister's wedding the following weekend too remember?" Leonard replied, his eyes widening as he anticipated how Penny might react if Joy were to bring it up. From what he remembered of her she definitely wasn't the shy and unassuming type, more like obnoxious and full of herself. "It was an open bar and we both got really drunk..."

"So?" Howard shrugged.

"So, it wasn't long after Penny and I broke up and I never told her about it. It was such a mistake Howard." Leonard said regretfully, subconsciously wringing his hands together as his anxiety heightened. "You know how upset she is right now, what if Joy says something?"

"Relax Leonard." Howard responded, giving Leonard what was intended to be a reassuring pat on the back, but in actuality had little effect. "I doubt if she'll even remember it, anyway from what Bernie says she's mellowed a lot since her divorce."

The sudden ring of the doorbell loosened Leonard's grip on the wine bottle that he was holding, sending it falling to shatter on the basement floor.

"My God she's here." he whispered, his gaze shooting up the stairs to the open door of the basement that led out to the hallway.

"Leonard you need to pull yourself together man." Howard cautioned, finally appreciating the full extent of his friend's anxiety. "It was over twenty years ago.."

Hoping that Howard was right in his assessment of the situation, Leonard selected another bottle of wine from the rack before making his way back upstairs to the dining room, entering just in time to hear Joy introducing herself to Jake.

"First thing you need to know about me, I'm hilarious.." she was saying, still dressed in the same clothes that she'd wore for her work out at the gym.

"Joy, I don't think you've met my husband Leonard Hofstadter." Penny began, standing up to slip her arm around Leonard's waist. "He's the head of the experimental physics department at Caltech University." she added, beaming proudly.

Glancing over in Howard's direction, Leonard saw him shrug apologetically while mouthing 'sorry buddy'.

"Joy was just telling us that she's part owner of a gym and that last year she got her black belt in karate..." Penny continued.

"Yeah, alimony is a wonderful thing." Joy said, swivelling in her seat to make eye contact with Jake. "You lose a husband, but you gain part share of a gym."

Thereafter everyone's attention was drawn to Leonard who was struggling to uncork the wine.

"Sweetie, are you ok there?" Penny asked. "Do you want me to do that?"

"No, thanks I'm fine." Leonard, insisted, his cheeks flushing red with a combination of embarrassment and strenuous effort.

"Maybe you should come down to my gym some time Leonard. We could work on building up those muscles." Joy said, suggestively twisting a strand of hair around her finger.

"Daddy usually gets Mommy to open the wine." Bobby piped up, making everyone laugh, after which, much to his relief Leonard finally won his battle with the corkscrew.

"Thank you son." He said as he went around the table filling everyone's glass, everyone that was except for Penny.

"Aren't you having any wine bestie?" Amy asked raising her eyebrows quizzically, for Penny to refuse wine at dinner was practically unheard of. Thinking quickly, Penny made the excuse of an early start at the studio the following day.

"Mom, I thought you said you weren't filming again until Wednesday..." Grace remarked.

Shooting to his feet Leonard raised his glass, seizing the opportunity to toast Joey and Grace again, successfully averting the topic of conversation away from his wife.

"To Grace and Joey!" everyone chorused in unison.

With everyone sipping on their wine, predictably Sheldon turned to address Joy. "Joy, do you know where the term 'to toast' comes from?" he asked.

For the rest of the meal the conversation centred on Grace and Joey and their plans for the wedding. The issue of hiring a wedding planner was discussed and agreed and Raj asked Grace if he could attend the wedding planning meeting that Bernadette suggested.

"Sure, I'd love to have you help plan our wedding Raj." Grace said, nodding enthusiastically.

Seeing Raj now smiling and chatting comfortably with his friends, it seemed to be evidence that he was finally returning to his old self after the death of his wife Emily. Overcome with grief, Raj had given up his job at the university and moved back to India, spending two years working for a charity providing support for homeless children before finally returning to Pasadena to take up a position at Caltech.

"So, Howard tells us that you're dating someone." Penny said, hoping to entice her friend into revealing information about the woman that so far had remained a mystery.

"It's only been a couple of months, but things are going really well." Raj beamed.

"So, when will we get to meet her buddy?" Howard pressed.

"Actually, I was thinking about having one of my murder mystery parties soon, maybe you could meet her then."

Faced with the prospect of one of Raj's party Sheldon groaned, prompting Amy to silence him with a kick from under the table.

"That sounds great Rajesh. We'll look forward to it." she said, speaking on behalf of her husband that even after years of friendship and being married had never learnt the art of tactfulness. After finishing up their desserts, Penny called bedtime for Bobby, promising to come up to read him a story, only for him to insist on Sheldon reading to him. After saying goodnight to everyone Bobby headed upstairs and Penny disappeared out to the kitchen to thank Marlena for the meal, telling her that she should get home to her family. With Marlena gone she set about making the coffee, immersed in her thoughts, listening to the hiss of the coffee maker, she didn't notice Jake entering into the kitchen.

"Dare I say 'Penny for them?'" he grinned, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Oh, sorry Jake. I was miles away..." Penny apologised.

Pulling up chair, Jake took a seat at the kitchen table beside her.

"I gotta tell you that Joy is one scary woman." he began, with an exaggerated mock shudder. "When I left the room she had Howard in a head lock."

Penny giggled. "Yeah, hard to believe Leonard dated her isn't it?"

"You're kidding?"

"Nope. He thinks I don't know about it, that's why he's been acting like a cat on a hot tin roof all night." Penny said with an unmistakeably mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "I'll tell him later, but for now I'm gonna let him squirm."

Laughing together, Jake waited for Penny's laughter to subside to bring up what he knew was the tender subject of her acting career, expressing his regret that she was to lose her part.

"You're so talented Penny, I'm sure the offers of work will come flooding in." He said, confidently. "If you ask me the producers are making a massive mistake. That show won't be the same without you."

Hearing this Penny's gaze dropped to the floor, under any other circumstances she probably would have agreed with him, but it was difficult to envisage demand for a forty-eight year old actress that would soon be sporting a baby bump. Without meaning to, Penny found herself revealing her secret to Jake.

"Jake I'm pregnant." she whispered, her eyes glistened with happy tears. "I found out a few days ago."

There was a silence while Jake absorbed the news.

"Oh Penny, that's terrific. Does Leonard know?" he asked softly.

"Yes, but we haven't told anyone else yet. To be honest I think he's more scared then I am."

Resting his hand on top of Penny's, Jake stroked it with his thumb. Everything was falling into place like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. After her near faint at Howard and Bernadette's house earlier that week he had been concerned that she was sick and was relieved to find out that she was pregnant.

"And now all this stuff with my career." Penny sighed. "It really couldn't have come at a worse time."

Sympathetic to penny's situation and wanting to offer his support, Jake suggested meeting the following morning in the park for a yoga and meditation session.

"I don't have to be in work until afternoon." he explained.

Smiling Penny agreed to meet Jake at Brookside Park. Lately she'd been so busy with work and family life she'd hardly had any time for herself, a session of yoga and meditation sounded likes just what the doctor ordered, or in this case the doula.

"Thank you Jake. That's sounds wonderful."

* * *

Aside from Joy's martial arts demonstration with Howard as an unwilling participant, the evening was a great success. Later that night while getting ready for bed, Penny told Leonard about her plans to meet with Jake.

"I think that sounds like a terrific idea honey." Leonard responded, emerging from the bathroom to find Penny sat at her dressing table, applying moisturiser. Approaching her, he kissed the top of her head. "I know this week has been really hard for you, you did so well tonight." He added.

"Well, tonight was about Grace and Joey." Penny said. "I didn't want anything to spoil it for them."

Reflected in the dressing table mirror, Penny watched Leonard draw back the comforted and get into bed before reaching for a book from the small pile on the nightstand. It was a book titled '_Lovemaking during Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide'_ which she had brought when she was pregnant with Grace.

"Leonard, I think we should tell the kids about the baby." Penny began, getting into bed beside him. "I know we said we'd wait until after the tests, but I think everyone is starting to suspect that something's wrong."

Penny went on to tell Leonard about how she'd let their secret slip to Jake in the kitchen earlier, with him knowing it didn't seem fair to keep Bobby and Grace and everyone else in the dark.

"Besides, I'm so excited I don't think I can wait any longer." She continued, her head coming to rest on Leonard's bare chest.

"Ok, let's have a family meeting tomorrow when I get home from work." Leonard said, running his fingers through Penny's hair. "We can tell them then."

"Thank you."

For a while Penny relaxed, savouring the sensation of Leonard stroking her hair, while wondering how Bobby and Grace were going to react to the news of a new brother or sister. What with Grace getting married and a baby on the way, there were certainly a lot of significant changes afoot in the Hofstadter household.

"Leonard." She said, after a few minutes of silent contemplation had gone by.

"Yeah?"

"I know about you and Joy."

Twisting her neck to gaze up at him, Penny had to stifle her desire to giggle uncontrollably.

"Bernadette told me years ago." She said, amused by her husband's astonished expression. "Oh come on Leonard she's one of my best friends, did you really think she wouldn't tell me?"

"So you let me go through the entire evening thinking that Joy was going to say something in front of everyone?" Leonard scolded playfully, unable to maintain a serious composure on the account of Penny's mischievous grin.

"Yep."

"Why you.."

With that Penny let out a squeal as Leonard proceeded to tickle her, his fingers finding the spot on her belly where he knew his efforts would have maximum effect.

"Leonard stop it! Stop it! " she begged, thrashing about on the bed, tears of laughter spilling down her cheeks. Satisfied that she had been sufficiently punished Leonard relented, only for Penny to retaliate by wielding a pillow, whacking him about the head.

"Ok ok I think that makes us even now." Leonard laughed.

Energised by their play fight the lovers fell into each others arms, Leonard's brief flick through Penny's book had had the effect of getting him in the mood and although it was late he knew that he wasn't alone in his desire.

"Just a sec." Penny said, disengaging herself and dashing to the bathroom.

Before Penny could return her cell phone began to ring, the display screen indicating a call from an unknown number, reaching for it on the nightstand Leonard answered.

"Hello." he said, only to greeted by silence. "Hello, who is this?"

After an extended silence there was a click as the anonymous caller hung up, frowning Leonard switched off the cell phone and set it back on the nightstand.

"Who was that?" Penny asked as she emerged from the bathroom, minus her nightdress, clambering into bed once more.

"I don't know. It sounded like there was someone there, but they didn't speak."

"Probably a wrong number." she dismissed.

About to suggest that she call the phone company in the morning, Leonard was otherwise distracted by Penny caressing his chest, working her way slowly up to his lips.

And seconds later the mysterious late night phone call was forgotten...


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Many thanks for the reviews thus far, your feedback is greatly appreciated!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Big Bang Theory.**

The following morning Grace left early for her practice placement at the hospital, while Leonard offered to get Bobby ready for school and drop him off on the way into work, allowing Penny to enjoy a leisurely breakfast in bed.

"I certainly could get used to this." Penny remarked as Leonard handed her the tray of scrambled eggs on toast, complete with a rose that he had taken from the table centrepiece from the engagement party. "Don't forget sweetie we agreed to talk to the kids tonight." she reminded him.

"I promise I'll leave work on time tonight." Leonard answered, hurriedly turning to button his shirt and grabbing a tie from the selection that hung on the inside of the closet door. Watching him dress Penny was reminded of how much she missed seeing him going off to work in his hoodies and dawky t-shirts, a downside to his now senior position at Caltech that necessitated him wearing more formal attire.

"Ok, have fun today." Leonard said, bending over to kiss his wife currently munching on a mouthful of toast.

"Thanks. Bye sweetie." came Penny's muffled reply.

After finishing her breakfast Penny took a shower, dressed and headed downstairs to find Marlena watching what turned out to be an episode of her show while going about her chores. Entering into the kitchen and seeing her on screen husband in bed with his mistress Penny's heart sank, whilst the news of her departure had yet to be made public, she was painfully aware of how the current storyline surrounding her husband's affair was leading up to her character's eventual demise.

"I didn't know you watched my show Marlena." Penny remarked, helping herself to the carton of orange juice in the refrigerator and pouring it into a glass which she retrieved from the drainer beside the sink.

"Oh, I never miss an episode Mrs Hofstadter." Marlena stated proudly. "My husband, he's a big fan too."

Looking around the kitchen Penny noticed Albert hovering by the door that led out into the yard, sniffing at the door frame and growling every now and then.

"I don't know what's got into him today, he's been doing that all morning." Marlena said, shaking her head at the ordinarily good tempered dog. "I'll take him out for a walk when I'm done with the ironing."

In a hurry to leave the house and without giving any thought to the reason behind her dog's odd behaviour Penny downed her juice, telling Marlena that she was going out for the morning. Twenty minutes later she had joined Jake at Brookside Park beneath the shade of an oak tree, where for the next hour they did yoga and meditation together.

"Thank you Jake. That was just what I needed." Penny admitted as she rolled up her yoga mat at the end of their session, placing it inside her gym bag.

"My pleasure. Why don't I walk you back to your car?" Jake suggested.

The two friends set off, chatting as their made the short walk from the park to where Penny had parked her car in a nearby side street.

"Ok, well I guess I'll catch up with you soon." Penny said, hugging Jake as they each prepared to get into their respective cars and go their separate ways.

"Sure, see you soon Penny."

Waving goodbye, Jake turned to walk away only to be stopped dead in his tracks by the sound of tires screeching as a car made a sharp turn into the street, picking up speed as it neared the spot where Penny was about to step off the sidewalk.

"Hey Penny watch out!" he yelled, seizing her arm and pulling her to safety in between the line of parked cars a split second before the car sped passed.

"Oh my God that was close!" Penny panted breathlessly, her heart pounding beneath her hand that had come to rest on her chest. "Did you manage to get the license plate?" she asked, scanning the street from which the car had now disappeared.

Jake let out a regretful sigh. With the near accident over in a matter of seconds he hadn't managed to take note of the license plate or even the make of car.

"Are you sure you're ok Penny?" he asked for the second time as Penny unlocked her car, dumping her gym bag on the backseat.

"Seriously I'm fine." she assured him, flashing a confident smile.

"I think we should go to the police. That jack ass will end up hurting someone or worse if they carry on driving around like that." Jake asserted, clearly infuriated by the incident that had very nearly seen his friend mowed down in the street, the consequences of which were too horrific to contemplate. Shaking her head Penny declined Jake's suggestion, without a license plate number she doubted if there was anything that he police could do.

"Please don't mention this to Leonard." She requested after getting into her car and lowering the window to bid Jake a final goodbye. "You know how he worries about me, I'm pretty sure he'd wrap me up in cotton wool for the next six months if he could..." she laughed, casually dismissing the incident as being a one off.

After saying goodbye and watching Jake turn to return to his car, Penny was about to drive off when her cell phone beeped, indicating the receipt of a text message from Amy informing her that Sheldon wanted to go to the model train store that afternoon and had promised Bobby he could come along after school. With the realisation that she now had the rest of the afternoon to herself, Penny decided to drive to Rodeo Drive for lunch and a spot of retail therapy. By noon she was dining on the patio of her favourite restaurant, basking in the LA sunshine and indulging some of her newly acquired food cravings. After lunch, armed with her credit card she hit the stores and despite having promised herself not to venture into the baby boutique, her shopping trip resulted in a number of purchases, including a musical mobile to go above the crib that she and Leonard were yet to buy. Arriving back at the parking lot, Penny had just deposited her shopping bags in the trunk of her car when her cell phone began to ring. It was Amy.

"Hey Ames." Penny said, immediately hearing the unmistakable sound of Sheldon's voice in the background engaged in a heated debate with the store assistant. "Are you still at the model train store?"

"Yeah." Amy sighed. "Sheldon can't make up his mind about which gauge engine to buy or something, it feels like we've been here for hours.."

Unaware, that were mirroring each other with their actions, the two friends rolled their eyes.

"Is Bobby ok?" Penny asked, getting into her car and placing her purse on the vacant passenger seat.

"Yeah, he's having a terrific time. Sheldon wants us all to go to Big Boy's for dinner, but I said I needed to call you first to check that it was it ok."

"Actually Ames, I'd rather Bobby came home early tonight." Penny told her, biting down on her lower lip as she inspected her reflection in the rear view mirror. "Perhaps you could take him another time." she added.

There was a pause.

"You are ok aren't you bestie?" Amy said, lowering her voice so as not to be overheard by Bobby, who although currently captivated by the numerous model trains on display, was within earshot of the phone conversation.

"Sure, I'm fine!" Penny stated. "Honestly Ames, there's nothing to worry about."

"Ok, I'll try to hurry Sheldon along." Amy responded, peering over at her husband and the increasingly exasperated store assistant, no doubt dragging him away was going to prove to be a Herculean task..

* * *

Half an hour later after negotiating her way along the busy LA freeway Penny was pulling onto the driveway beside Leonard's car, as promised he had managed to leave work on time and was in the living room waiting for her. Much to her surprise Bobby was home too watching TV, unable to tear Sheldon away from the model train store, Amy had decided to drive Bobby home leaving her husband behind to continue his deliberations.

"Sad thing is I don't think he'll even notice that I'm gone..." she had told Leonard.

With Penny home Leonard called upstairs to Grace who was studying in her bedroom, asking her to come down for a family meeting.

"Mom, Dad what is it?" she asked, as she took a seat beside her brother on the couch, addressing her parents with a worried frown. The last time they had had a family meeting called at short notice was to break the news that Leonard's father had passed away.

"Am I in trouble?" Bobby cut in. "Are you gonna yell at me?"

"No Bobby, you're not in trouble." Penny said, gently. "Your Dad and I have something we need to tell you." She began, nodding at Leonard to take the cue.

"Are you getting a divorce?" Bobby piped up again.

"Oh sweetheart no... we're not getting divorced." a startled Penny responded. "Why would you think that?"

Penny was aware that there were a few children in Bobby's class at school whose parents were divorced, but it had never occurred to her that it was something which worried him as far as his own parents were concerned.

Bobby shrugged. "I hear you yelling sometimes." he admitted.

While it was true that as a married couple Leonard and Penny still had the occasional fight, from the outset of their marriage they had made a pact to never go to bed on an argument. Their now approach to resolving their differences was certainly a far cry from the early days of their relationship which would often see Penny giving Leonard the silent treatment for days after a fight. Happily, it had been an agreement that to date they had never once broken. Now their infrequent fights would end with them talking through their differences and making love. They had finally realised that life was too short for unresolved fights.

"Bobby, I know your Dad and I fight sometimes, but that doesn't we don't love each other very much." Penny told a relieved Bobby. "You don't have to worry about us getting divorced."

"So what_ is_ going on?" Grace demanded, after Bobby had eliminated what for him was the worst case scenario.

Hooking his arm around Penny's waist, Leonard pulled his wife close. "Well, the thing is kids your Mom and I are expecting a baby." he said, beaming proudly. "So in a few months from now you're gonna have a baby brother or sister." he added, looking directly at Bobby. There was a protracted silence, broken eventually by Penny.

"So, what do you think?" she asked tentatively, smiling as she looked at the bewildered expressions of her offspring. "Awesome isn't it?"

"Mom, is this some kind of joke?" Grace questioned flatly.

Penny's smile evaporated. "No, it's not a joke Grace. Your father and I are pregnant." she answered.

Hearing these words Leonard experienced a warm tingling sensation that radiated throughout his body, he adored the way in which she had just described them as both being pregnant, for him it encapsulated their closeness.

"But you're both so.."

"Old?" Penny cut in, preempting her daughter and completing her sentence for her. "It's true this wasn't exactly planned, but your Dad and I are _really_ happy. We hope that you will be too."

"Will I have to move out my bedroom?" Bobby enquired; apparently his primary concern was being ousted from his train themed bedroom in order to make way for the new arrival to the Hofstadter family. Smiling again, Penny reassured her son of their plans to convert one of the guest rooms into a nursery.

"So that means you and Daddy had sex." he concluded.

"We prefer to call it love-making, but yes we did." Penny replied without the slightest hint of unease or hesitation. Leonard on the other hand averted his gaze toward the floor, when it came to discussing the birds and the bees Penny was always much better than he at handling Bobby's enquiring mind and the resulting questions.

"Ok, this conversation is getting gross now." Grace said, her face wrinkling in disgust at the mention of her parent's sex life.

Intent on steering the conversation away from sex as quickly as possible, Leonard suggested they all go out to dinner as a family to celebrate. Bobby cheered, while at first Grace declined the invitation, saying that she needed to continue studying.

"Oh come on honey, it will be fun." Penny gently encouraged, she couldn't recall the last time they had been out for a meal with just the four of them. "Please just for an hour..."

After successfully managing to convince Grace to join them, the Hofstadter family bundled into Leonard's car for the short drive to Big Mama's Pizzeria, parking the car in the restaurant's lot. Unable to contain his excitement, Bobby ran on ahead toward the restaurant entrance, leaving his parents and Grace behind. It was as he locked the car that Leonard noticed that they had parked in a space next to Amy's car.

"I thought you said Sheldon and Amy were going to Big Boy's tonight." he remarked, ordinarily he wouldn't have minded running into Sheldon and Amy, Sheldon was after all still his best friend, but that night he had rather hoped that it would just be him and his family.

"Look! Uncle Sheldon and Aunty Amy are here!" Bobby exclaimed, waving enthusiastically at his favourite couple who were seated at a table beside the window.

"So much for our family evening." Penny sighed.

By the time Leonard and Penny entered into the restaurant, Sheldon was instructing a waitress that he wanted to move to one of the larger booths that accommodated six persons, beckoning Bobby to come to sit next to him.

"I thought you guys were eating at Big Boys tonight." Penny commented as she clambered into the semi-circular booth to sit beside Amy.

"We were, but Sheldon managed to over react and get into a disagreement with the restaurant manager so they asked us to leave.." Amy answered as she studied the menu, her frustration evidenced by the irritated tone of her voice.

"Excuse me Amy, I didn't over react." Sheldon protested. "They really need to work on their customer service skills. I intend to send a strongly worded email to the CEO as soon as we get home." he informed his disinterested friends who had every sympathy for Amy who was always caught up in the middle of his public outbursts. Much to everyone's relief the waitress approached, introduced herself as Jenny and proceeded to hand out additional menus.

"And here's our children's menu for you Sir." She said beaming cheerfully at Bobby.

"We're celebrating because Mommy and Daddy are pregnant and I'm getting a brother or a sister." he stated excitedly, reciting the words Penny had used earlier that evening.

"Bobby!" Grace hissed at her brother, who simply stared back at his sister in bewilderment.

"Well, that's awesome! congratulations!" the waitress exclaimed.

It wasn't that Penny blamed Bobby for blurting out their news, but given the tenderness of the subject of parenthood and babies for Amy in particular, she found herself wishing for the ground to open up and swallow her. A moment later Bobby noticed a man dressed in a chilli pepper costume distributing helium balloons to the other children in the restaurant, prompting him to ask to leave the table.

"You're pregnant?" Amy whispered.

"Ames, I'm really sorry. I was gonna call you and Bernadette later to tell you both." Penny insisted, squeezing Amy's hand. "I only found out myself last week."

With tears stirred up by mixed emotions glistening in her eyes, Amy congratulated her friends."You guys have always been such great parents. You must be so happy." she acknowledged, secretly she had always been envious of Leonard and Penny's seemingly natural ability when it came to parenting.

"Thanks Amy. Yes we are." Leonard responded, smiling as he put his arm around Penny's shoulders. "Very happy indeed."

Just then Bobby came bounding back to the table, flashing his toothy smile while clutching tightly the string of his newly acquired helium balloon. Determined to change the conversation Sheldon began to explain in a very detailed fashion to Bobby why helium balloons float, failing to notice his wife leave the table to go to the restroom. Concerned for her friend who she could tell was upset, Penny got up to follow after her.

"Daddy, look Mommy's on TV!" Bobby yelled, pointing at the large plasma screen on the wall of the restaurant that was showing a 24-hour news channel. Turning his head to follow the direction of his son's finger, Leonard was greeted by a photograph of Penny loading her shopping bags into the trunk of her car in Rodeo Drive that day. The image had been enhanced to zoom in on the bags which displayed the name of a baby boutique, beneath the image was the caption _'Soap actress_ _pregnant at 48?' _

"Great." Leonard muttered under his breath, the almost constant media intrusion was a serious downside to Penny's celebrity and was an aspect of their lives that he disliked intensely. Sadly, he knew that it was going to be difficult keeping Penny's pregnancy private now that the Hollywood rumour mill had gone into overdrive. A short while later Amy and Penny returned from the restroom, the pizzas arrived and for the duration of the meal the conversation centred around Sheldon's trip to the model train store. With everyone finished, Leonard offered to pay for the meal, signalling to the waitress for the check before turning his attention to trying to locate his wallet.

"I must have left my wallet in my jacket in the car." he said, after spending a few seconds unsuccessfully fumbling inside his empty pants pocket.

Declining Penny's offer to pay,insisting that it was his treat, Leonard ventured outside to the parking lot. Unlocking the car he retrieved his jacket from the backseat and was just about to head back to the restaurant when he caught sight of something beneath the windshield wiper. Moving toward the hood he reached out and removed it. Holding it in his hand, he shrugged before discarding it on the ground where a swift gust of wind quickly blew it away.

Minutes later the family of four were emerging from the restaurant, laughing as they got into their car to make the journey home. And from across the street they were being watched...


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Many thanks for the reviews so far, as always constructive criticism and feedback is very much appreciated. **

**In the last couple of chapters this story has taken a somewhat sinister turn. Fair warning this next chapter will be fairly dramatic involving the character of Penny, but without wanting to give to much away or spoil to much you can be assured she is ultimately safe in my hands...**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Big Bang Theory.**

Hanging up on his phone call Leonard's lips curled into a satisfied smile, pleased that he had managed to pull sufficient strings in order to secure a reservation that evening at one of the best restaurants in Pasadena. In the few weeks that had passed since filming her last episode, Penny had preoccupied herself by helping with the preparations for Grace and Joey's wedding, but despite her best efforts to remain upbeat, it hadn't escaped Leonard's notice that she had become increasingly subdued. Losing her part had definitely hit her harder than she was prepared to let on. With the final episode due to air that night, he had wanted to offer up a distraction, an evening of spoiling his beautiful wife and a meal at one of their favourite restaurants seemed like the perfect solution. Leonard had just turned his attention back to his PC when the phone on his desk began to ring. Putting the incoming call on speakerphone, he answered.

"Leonard Hofstadter." he said in his business-like voice.

"Daddy."

"Oh, hi sweetheart, what can I do for you?" Leonard said to his daughter, assuming that the purpose of her call was wedding related, he continued to scan through his inbox, distracted by the receipt of an email from the President of the university that was flagged as urgent.

"Daddy, do you know where Mom is?" she asked, sounding anxious. "We were supposed to have a meeting with the wedding planner after I finished my shift today, only she didn't show up and she isn't answering her cell. I came home, but she isn't here either."

Letting go of the mouse that held with his right hand, Leonard stared down at the framed photograph of Penny he kept on his desk and felt his body stiffen. Penny had mentioned the meeting with the wedding planner to finalise the guest list over breakfast that morning, therefore he knew she hadn't forgotten. In any event, she had gotten into the habit of setting calendar reminders on her phone. The fact she wasn't answering her phone now either was even more worrisome.

"No, I haven't seen her since breakfast this morning." he answered, simultaneously rummaging in his pants pocket for his cell phone to check for messages, but finding none.

"Daddy, I'm getting worried ..." Grace continued in a shaky voice. "What if something has happened to her?"

Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, Leonard assured his daughter that he would be home as soon as possible. No sooner had he hung up the desk phone when his cell phone began to ring, the screen flashing the number of Bobby's school. Answering it he found himself speaking with the co-ordinator of Bobby's after school drama club who informed him that Penny had not arrived to pick him up. Grabbing his jacket from the hook on the back of his office door, Leonard raced out into the hallway, literally bumping into Howard.

"Hey buddy are you ok?" he asked, instantly noticing Leonard's flustered state and apparent sense of urgency to be getting somewhere.

"It's Penny. She's not answering her phone." Leonard told him, striding quickly in the direction of the parking lot. "She was supposed to meet with Grace and pick Bobby up from school this afternoon, but she didn't turn up. It's not like her to forget Howard..." he added, exiting through the glass-fronted main entrance and down a short flight of concrete steps, followed closely by Howard who offered to call Bernadette.

"I'm sure she'll be ok." Howard assured as he watched Leonard toss his briefcase on the backseat of the car before clambering in behind the wheel. Taking out his cell phone Leonard tried calling Penny's cell, getting her voicemail he left what was to be the first of many messages.

"Honey, please can you can you call me as soon as you get this message?" he pleaded. "I'm really worried about you sweetheart..."

And with a trembling hand Leonard started the engine, shifted the car into drive and drove off, heading for home.

* * *

**Six hours earlier...**

Entering into the Coffee Bean on Lake Street that morning, Penny was greeted by the familiar aroma of fresh coffee and pastries. Dressed in a loose floral patterned sun dress that concealed her tiny pregnancy bump, denim jacket, flat canvas shoes and a pair of sun glasses she headed over to the counter, ordering herself a cappuccino to go. Smiling at the server as she handed over payment, Penny picked up her coffee and was about to go when she heard someone say her name.

"It's Penny Hofstadter isn't it?"

Turning to follow in the direction of the voice, she saw a young woman seated alone wearing a charcoal grey pants suit. Spread out on the table were stacks of paper, empty coffee cups and a laptop, apparently the woman that had recognised her was using the coffee shop as a makeshift office.

"Oh, I'm sorry you probably don't recognise me." the woman apologised, realising that Penny was most probably thinking that she was a fan on the hunt for an autograph. "I'm Anna, Jake's daughter." she explained, pointing at herself. "We met some years ago when I was still in law school."

Now in her late twenties, Anna was a criminal defence lawyer who had recently taken up a position in a LA based law firm after spending time working in New York. Recollecting their meeting almost ten years ago, Penny nodded.

"I'm sorry Anna, you're right I didn't recognise you." she conceded, mildly embarrassed. "Please don't be offended."

"No problem. Like I said it was a long time ago." Anna responded. "It's good to meet you again, I kinda feel like I know you." she continued "Dad talks about you a lot. Would you like to join me for a minute?" Stacking the files into one pile to make space on the table, she motioned toward the vacant chair.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to disturb you from your work." Penny answered, politely.

"That's ok. I really could use a proper break right now." Anna insisted. "Unless you have to go of course."

Penny sat down and for a while they chatted about their respective careers. Due to begin representing a client in a high profile trial, Anna had been spending every waking hour going over witness statements and police reports with a fine tooth comb.

"I was sorry to hear about your contract not being renewed." she said, sympathetically. "I know for one that Dad is_ really_ disappointed, he watches every episode of that show."

Penny chucked, Jake had always led her to believe that he only watched occasionally when his schedule permitted, finding out from his daughter that he was an avid fan of the show that never missed an episode, was for her highly amusing.

"Well, it gives me a chance to concentrate on helping plan my daughter's wedding and on this little one." She said, her left hand coming to rest on her belly while using the other to bring her steaming coffee cup to her lips. "Anyway, I'm sure something will come up." she concluded, after taking a sip.

Just then Anna's cell phone beeped on the table beside her, excusing herself she opened the just received text message, her face breaking into a beaming smile as she read it.

"Oh I think I know that face." Penny chirped, mirroring Anna's smile.

Shy when it came to men Anna blushed a shade of crimson. "Is it really that obvious?" she questioned, snapping shut her phone and depositing it inside her purse that hung on the back of the chair. "We've only been dating for a couple of months, but he's very sweet. It's just that we haven't been able to see much of each other recently because of my work. He's worried that I'm working to hard." she added, referring to the content of the message that she had just received. Evidenced by the dark circles beneath Anna's eyes Penny could see where her boyfriend was coming from, she looked exhausted.

"He's not exactly like the guys I normally date." Anna continued, chewing on her bottom lip as she contemplated confiding in Penny, despite only recently restabilising her acquaintance she trusted her and found herself wanting to open up. "He's had a rough time these last few years, so we've decided to take things slowly, but so far I really like him."

"Well that sounds promising." Penny said. "I'm pleased for you Anna."

Running her finger absentmindedly along the edge of one of her files, Anna looked up to meet Penny's gaze.

"He's older than me...quite a bit in fact...he's in his fifties. I've never dated anyone who was more than a couple of years older than me." she shrugged. "He's almost the same age as my father, I'm a little concerned about how people will react."

Reaching over the table Penny took hold of Anna's hand, squeezing it gently. "Believe me sweetie." she began, flashing a knowing smile. "If you like him that much age doesn't matter. Besides, there are_ lots_ of advantages to being with someone older." she added, her thoughts drifting back to the night before when Leonard had joined her for a moonlight swim in their pool, a swim which had resulted in them engaging in another form of exercise. The physical side of their relationship had always been fulfilling and the passion that they had for each other had never waned, but instead had strengthened as they matured. What Leonard occasionally lacked now in terms in stamina, he more than made up for in experience.

_'Boy does he still rock my world...'_ Penny thought to herself.

Knowing precisely to what Penny was tacitly referring, Anna giggled nervously. "Well I'll have to take your word for it Penny, like I said we're taking things really slowly.." she emphasised.

After chatting for a while longer, Anna noticed the time and said that she needed to be heading back to her office. Gathering up her files and laptop, the two women left, walking outside together to their respective cars.

"Good luck with you new man. Call me if you need to talk again." Penny said, with a wink. "Your Dad has my number."

"Sure, I will. Thanks Penny" Anna called out in reply, waving from the sidewalk as her new found confidant indicated and pulled into the late morning traffic. A moment later her car had disappeared out of sight.

* * *

An hour after arriving back home Leonard had managed to call and or leave messages for everyone he could think of whom might have seen or heard from Penny that day. Glancing up at the kitchen clock and seeing the seconds rapidly ticking by, he experienced another surge of panic. In the twenty years they had been married there had never been an occasion when she hadn't called to let him know that she was going to be home late.

"Daddy." Grace began, entering into the kitchen with the house phone in her hand. "I just called Grandpa Wyatt; he says he hasn't spoken to Mom since last week. Maybe we should call the police."

In truth it was exactly what Leonard wanted to, but he knew that the police would be reluctant to launch a search for a person that had only technically been missing for a few hours.

"We have to do something Daddy." Grace persisted.

Reluctant to give a voice to his darkest fears Leonard exhaled deeply. "I'm gonna call round the hospitals." he said quietly. "Maybe she's.." he paused, unable to bring himself to say the words out loud. "Grace, can you go take care of your brother please?" On top of everything else Albert had found his way out of the back yard and was also missing. Nodding, Grace headed out of the kitchen and into the living room, finding Bobby curled up in a ball on the couch, his face buried in a cushion.

"Grace, where's Mommy?" he whimpered, rolling over and throwing his arms around his sister's neck.

"I wish I knew, but she'll be home soon I'm sure." she soothed, planting a kiss on the top of his head.

"Albert's gone too." Bobby sniffed, wiping the mucus that was trickling from his nose with the back of his hand. "Maybe they ran away together." he surmised.

In the kitchen Leonard's cell had begun to ring, snatching up off the kitchen island he saw that it was Jake returning his earlier call.

"Leonard, I got your message? Have you found her?" he asked quickly.

Leonard shook his head. "No. I've tried everyone I can think of... I've started to call round the hospitals." he answered in a shaky voice. "Jake, this is not like Penny at all, something _must_ have happened.."

Closing his eyes Jake took a deep in breath as the image of the car that had come so close to running her over outside the park flashed through his mind's eyes. Keeping to his word he hadn't mentioned the incident that Penny had dismissed as merely an near miss, now he wasn't so sure. About to interject, Jake was interrupted by an incoming radio call in his ambulance, from his end of the line Leonard could hear the voice of the dispatcher giving instructions to attend what was abbreviated as an RTC.

"Leonard, sorry I have to go." he said, yelling to make himself heard over the sound of the wailing siren. "I'll call you back buddy.."

Hanging up Jake focused on the road ahead while his partner steered the ambulance, weaving at speed in and out of the lines of stopped traffic. Of the many aspects of his work as an EMT, call outs to car wrecks were for him the worst. By the time they arrived on the scene of the accident, a fire truck and police car were already in attendance. At the side of the road a police cordon had been set up around the mangled wreck of a Mercedes that judging by the skid marks on the road, had lost control before colliding head on with a tree. Greeted with the catastrophic scene the colour drained from Jake's face. "Jesus." he said under his breath. Grabbing hold of his first responders kit, he yanked open the door to the ambulance and jumped out, stumbling once as he sprinted toward the car. As he approached, his worst fears were confirmed. It was Penny's car. Inside, amongst the broken glass and twisted metal he could see her head against the steering wheel, her face obscured by matted hair.

"She's gone. There's nothing you guys can do for her. Looks like it was instant." the police officer the other side of the cordon remarked. "We got a witness who says she was being chased by someone on a motorcycle. She wasn't wearing her seat belt, didn't stand a chance...damned waste of life." he cursed angrily, it was a scenario that he had witnessed far too many times. Ducking below the cordon Jake hurried to the side of the car, reaching in through the shattered window to feel her neck for a pulse. There was none.

"God please no." he whispered, shaking his head in shock, his eyes glistening with tears.

It simply didn't make any sense. For anyone who knew Penny personally it was unthinkable that she would drive without her seat belt, much less that she would be doing so while pregnant. Although in her younger years he'd heard her admit to being reckless behind the wheel, it wasn't Penny the wife and the mother. Sensing a connection between Jake and the victim the police officer spoke.

"Do you know this lady?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's a friend of mine...my beautiful..beautiful friend." he answered, choking back a sob he began to delicately brush her hair away from her face.

Jake flinched.

"It's not her...it's not Penny." he breathed, uncovering more hair from the face of the driver, discovering a blond stranger of similar age to Penny, wearing the dress and denim jacket that she had worn that morning.

"This car is definitely registered to a Penelope Hofstadter here in Pasadena. We've found her purse with her driver's ID inside the car." the police officer interjected, bemused by the sudden turn of events.

Taking a step back Jake clasped his hands together behind his head, taking short sharp breaths as he tried to make sense of what he was witnessing.

"I'm telling you it's not her." he repeated, turning abruptly to face the officer and raising his voice. "I don't know who the hell this woman is, but it's _not_ Penny.."

* * *

As the minutes ticked by without word from Penny, Bobby became increasingly distraught. From the living room the two siblings could hear the muffled sound of their father's voice as he paced the hall talking on his cell phone.

"Grace what's going on? Why hasn't Mommy come home?" he cried.

Lacking answers and having run out of words to otherwise console her brother, Grace picked up the remote and flicked on the TV. There on the screen in her final ever scene was their mother, her cheating husband at her hospital bedside, bereft at the prospect of losing his wife who had been critically injured in a car accident. With their eyes glued to the screen, they watched as in true dramatic soap style Paige McIntyre began to flat line and a frantic resuscitation attempt ensued while her husband looked on, beggingher not to leave him.

"I can't watch this right now." Grace muttered, hurriedly aiming the remote at the TV and tossing it onto the floor in frustration. "And I can't stand _this_ either. I'm gonna go find out what's happening." she announced.

Striding purposefully out into the hall to confront her father she found him finishing up on a call with the fifth hospital in the LA area that he had tried, none of which had admitted a patient fitting Penny's description.

"Daddy what's going on?" Grace demanded impatiently, her hand on her hips. "Daddy, I'm not a child anymore, please don't shut me out of this.."

Before Leonard could respond to his daughter his cell phone began to ring. It was Jake. Swiping the screen he answered the call.

"Daddy." Grace continued to press.

Momentarily removing the phone from his ear he implored Grace to return to her brother.

"Grace, please just do as I ask. Bobby needs you right now." he pleaded, before opening the door to his study and entering, closing the door behind him.

Letting out a frustrated sigh Grace stomped into the kitchen where she proceeded to make another call to her mother's cell phone, this time with the intention of leaving an angry message.

"Mom, where the hell are you?" she seethed. "Daddy is going out of his mind with worry and Bobby won't stop crying...Why are you being so damned selfish?" pausing to take a deep breath, Grace sniffed as she fought back her tears. "Mom where are you? I'm scared...please come home we need to know that you're ok I love you.."

With tears spilling down her cheeks Grace ended the call, hearing then the scratching sound at the back door alerting her to the fact that Albert had returned home. Opening the door to let him inside he barked and bounded passed her, through the kitchen and into the hall in search of Bobby.

* * *

Feeling as though his legs might give way from beneath him at any second, Leonard collapsed down onto the leather swivel chair in his study as he listened carefully to what Jake was telling him.

"The police are on their way over to your house now Leonard, whoever this woman is it seems certain that she has something to do with Penny going missing." Jake confirmed. Still at the scene of the accident he was watching the body being loaded on a gurney into the back of a coroner's vehicle. Experiencing a tightness in his chest, Leonard took a long puff from his asthma inhaler. "But you say that the police don't know who she is?" he said.

"They're working on it; all she had with her was Penny's purse and driver's ID. Leonard I know it's difficult, but you have to try and stay positive, the police are pulling out all the stops to find her.."

There was a silence.

"Leonard are you ok? Are you still there?" Jake asked.

"I have to go... I need to speak with Grace and Bobby."

Focusing on the photograph of Penny on his desk, Leonard let his cell phone slide from his hand onto the floor. Desperately trying to absorb the news himself and knowing that they would be devastated, he couldn't even begin to think how he was going to tell Bobby and Grace.

"My God Penny.." he whispered to the empty room.

* * *

In a place less than a mile away from her home Penny was regaining consciousness, unhurt but drugged and now trapped inside the house of the person that had lured her by pretending to be a friend who had forgiven her for past wrongs. Driven by the perceived injustice that Penny had everything that she no longer did; a loving husband, a family and a successful career she had sought revenge, payback for a cruel incident that had taken place many years before. Wanting to feel what it was like to be the famous the Penny Hofstadter, who in the eyes of the world seemed to do no wrong, she had decided to dress herself in her clothes and take her car for a drive. Hidden behind the sun glasses that she had found in the car's glove compartment and with her hair styled identically, at a distance it was easy to mistake her for being Penny. Driving thereafter through the streets of Pasadena with a crazed smile plastered on her face, she had revelled in the thrill of being spotted and pursued by a rogue photographer on a motorcycle, inciting her to drive recklessly fast, pushing the high-powered engine car to its limits. And then tragedy had struck. Losing control on a sharp bend, the car had skidded and left the road, ploughing into a tree, killing the driver instantly...

And at that moment in the solitude of the Hofstadter kitchen, her eyes closed and palms pressed together Marlena was saying a silent prayer for Penny's safe return. Mouthing 'Amen' she opened her eyes and caught sight of something lying in the middle of the floor. Unaware that it had been carried inside by Albert who had now returned to the kitchen, scratching at the door and whining to be let out, she bent down to pick it up. And at that point there was no way she could have known that it was the very same thing that Leonard had found beneath his windshield wiper in the parking lot of the restaurant and now represented a vital clue. Sighing Marlena tossed it in the garbage without a second thought.

It was an ear of corn..


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N I'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to read and review my story so far. As always constructive criticism, comments and feedback are much appreciated. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Big Bang Theory**

* * *

**5:05am**

Leonard woke that morning with a terrified start, emerging from a dream in which he had discovered Penny dangling over the edge of a cliff, screaming for him, but beyond his reach to save her from plummeting to a certain death.

"Penny!" he gasped, the sound of his voice echoing around the empty kitchen.

His head pounding and neck stiff from having fallen asleep with his head on the kitchen table, Leonard groaned as he straightened up in his chair. In front of him the table was littered with empty coffee mugs, most notably the _'World's Best Dad'_ mug which Bobby had brought him as a Father's Day present from his pocket money the previous year. On a plate was the sandwich which Bernadette had prepared the night before and encouraged him to eat, but that had remained untouched and was now stale and shrivelling at the edges. Surviving only on coffee, the mere thought of it touching his lips was enough to turn his stomach.

"Leonard, my God are you ok?"

Reacting to the sound of Leonard calling out Penny's name Bernadette returned to the kitchen, finding him out of breath and rummaging in his pants pocket for his inhaler.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he panted, easing his breathless by taking several long puffs of his inhaler, proceeding then to remove his spectacles and massage the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "What time is it? You should have woken me up." he added, furious that he had somehow drifted of to sleep while Penny was still missing.

"Just after 5am. We thought you should rest for a while." she responded, referring to herself and Howard who had stayed at the house all night. "You've only been asleep for an hour."

"Are the police still here?"

Bernadette nodded. "Yeah, they're in the dining room. Howie and I have both given them our statements."

Treating Penny's disappearance as a suspected abduction, the police had set up base in the dining room. According to them Penny's wealth and celebrity status gave rise to the possibility of the abduction being financially motivated and as such were preparing themselves for receiving a demand for ransom.

"Whatever it is they want I'll give it to them, just so long as Penny comes home safe and unhurt." Leonard had stated in a state of desperation. "I don't give a damn about the money.."

Hours later however and no such demand had materialised. Turning their attention to uncovering a lead, the police had set about searching meticulously through Penny's personal belongings, as well as her phone records and emails. It was a process which had left Leonard feeling completely violated, hating the fact that strangers were riffling through their house and coming across items that were intensely private, such as the letters he had written to her years ago when they had first dated.

"Have they done searching upstairs?" he asked.

Nodding once more Bernadette slumped wearily into the seat beside Leonard. "Grace finally managed to get Bobby to sleep." she told him. "He made her promise to stay with him." she added, picturing the heart breaking scene of the two siblings cuddled up together on the bed that would now probably be forever imprinted in her mind. A silence followed.

"I just keep going over and over every detail of the last few weeks." Leonard began, breaking the silence, shaking his head in despair. "Penny had a silent call on her cell phone on the night of the engagement party, but I forgot all about it... What if it that call was connected with what's happened? I'm her husband Bernadette." he continued, his hands balling into fists as his anger with himself mounted. "I _should_ be looking after her.._protecting _her. If anything has happened to her I swear I'll never be able to forgive myself."

"This is _not_ your fault Leonard." Bernadette said firmly. "And blaming yourself right now isn't going to help anyone." she warned.

With an angry snort Leonard got to his feet, picking up the plate with the uneaten sandwich he carried it over to the garbage can, flipping open the lid. Facing away from Bernadette he spoke again, but this time in a low almost childlike whisper.

"I feel like I'm falling apart here." he admitted, biting down on his bottom lip, fighting to keep himself from breaking down then and there. "But I know that I can't because Bobby and Grace need me to be strong for them, right?"

In the process of discarding the unwanted sandwich into the garbage can Leonard glanced down. There resting on top of the previous day's garbage which Marlena had forgotten to take outside was the ear of corn. Drawing a sharp intake of breath he froze.

"Leonard, what is it?"

Approaching him Bernadette could see Leonard's hands trembling as he bent down to retrieve the ear of corn from the garbage can.

"Was that in the garbage?...Leonard?" she repeated, touching his arm when at first she failed to gain his attention. Turning away Leonard walked the length of the kitchen, coming to a stop and turning around by the sink. "A few weeks ago somebody put an ear of corn underneath my windshield wiper while Penny and I were at a restaurant." he began to explain. "I really didn't think anything of it back then..."

Bernadette's face wrinkled into a bewildered frown. "Why would somebody do that? And where did that one come from?" she asked, nodding at the ear of corn which Leonard was now holding in the palm of his hand.

"I don't know, but maybe whoever did it was trying to send some kind of message." he concluded, a cold chill shooting up his spine as the notion that they had been watched on that day became a very real possibility. Convinced that the ear of corn was in some way connected to Penny's disappearance, and yet with no clue as to its providence, Leonard headed out of the kitchen in search of Lieutenant Benson.

* * *

After finishing his shift in the early hours of that morning, Jake had returned home to his apartment. However, instead of showering and heading to bed as per his usual routine, he had remained awake and in front of the TV, watching the 24-hour news channel that was running regular updates on Penny's disappearance, interspersed with interviews with experts on cases of abduction. He had been watching for some time when footage of CCTV taken from inside a coffee shop began to be shown, the caption _'Breaking News'_ running along the bottom of the screen.

"_Police are trying to trace this woman believed to be in her late twenties who was seen with Penny Hofstadter yesterday morning at the Coffee Bean in Lake Street, Pasadena."_ the voice of a news presenter said. _"Anyone with information on the identity of this woman should contact the Pasadena Police Department immediately..."_

Swiping across the screen of his cell phone, Jake entered his contacts, bringing up the number for his daughter. After two rings she answered.

"Hi Daddy." she said, sleepily.

"Anna, where are you?"

"Still at work." Anna answered, stretching her arms out above her head so as to relieve the stiffness brought on by hours of sitting at her desk without a break. It was 2am, but for once Jake wasn't about to berate his daughter for working long into the night.

"Anna, Penny Hofstadter is missing." he told her, with one eye still on the TV he was watching footage of Penny's final dramatic scene, the presenter commenting upon the fact that her presumed abductor had died in a car wreck in circumstances similar to that of her character.

"What do you mean she's _missing_?" Anna exclaimed.

While listening to her father explain, Anna opened the web browser or her PC, typing Penny's name into Google and retrieving a multitude of news items and images of the wrecked car.

"Oh my God." she whispered in disbelief. "So I might have been the last person to have seen her." she concluded.

At the other end of the phone Jake nodded. "Anna, the police have an appeal out to find you." he explained. "You need to get in contact with them right now." Grabbing her purse from inside the desk drawer, Anna clicked save on the file that was currently open on her desktop, telling her father that she would go to the police directly.

"Daddy I'll call you later." She said as she exited her office and out into the hallway, pressing the call button for the elevator. Out of the two available elevators in the building, one was almost permanently out of order, while the other was painfully slow. Made anxious by the thought of Anna venturing out into the parking lot alone, Jake insisted that she ask security to escort her to her car.

"Daddy, I'm fine. I can handle myself." Anna reassured; frustrated by the prolonged wait for the elevator, impatiently she pressed the call button again, muttering under her breath.

"Anna I mean it." came her father's stern response, getting her attention and at the same time making her feel as though she had regressed back to being a teenager that was about to be yelled at. "Whoever was responsible for Penny going missing might not have been working alone. There's every chance that you were seen with her today." he warned.

"Daddy.." Anna began to protest.

"Listen, I know you're a grown woman now." Jake interrupted, aware of how fiercely independent his daughter had become, which certainly wasn't aided by the fact that she had also inherited her mother's stubborn streak. "But to me you're still my little girl and I need to know that you're safe."

Deciding to abandon waiting for the elevator to arrive, Anna pushed open the door to the stairwell, taking the stairs as fast as her high heels would permit.

"Ok, I gotta go now." she panted, eager to end the call. "I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart. Call me when you've spoken to the police."

Reaching the lobby, Anna could hear the night security guard yelling at the TV in the office behind the reception while watching highlights of an earlier football game. Failing to heed her father's advice about leaving the building alone, she swiped her ID badge to release the exit barrier, calling out a casual goodnight as she passed through it. Poking his head around the door of the office, the security guard nodded, touching the peak of his cap.

"Goodnight to you Miss Cunningham." he said.

Walking alone through the now deserted parking lot, Anna took out her key aiming it at her car as she made quickly toward it, hearing the familiar beep beep as the alarm deactivated and the doors unlocked. It was then that she became aware of the sound of heavy footsteps behind her, frightened to turn around she began to quicken her pace, regretting even more now her choice of footwear that day. The footsteps grew louder, suddenly she felt a strong hand grasp her shoulder.

"Get away!" she screamed.

In one swift movement Anna span round to confront the person who at the moment she had every reason to suspect was intent on causing her harm, brandishing the canister of pepper spray that she had pulled out from her purse.

"Anna!"

"Jesus you scared the crap out of me! What the hell did you think you were doing sneaking up on me like that?" Anna exploded, angrily.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." he apologised, his arms falling from being raised in a protective stance to hang loosely at his sides. "You weren't at your apartment so I figured you'd be here."

"Couldn't you just have called me?" she snapped, although beginning to realise that despite the shock of being snuck up upon, that she was actually very glad to see him.

"I'm sorry Anna." he repeated. "I just really needed to see you."

With her composure now regained, Anna came to notice the deeply worried expression upon the face of the man whom she had very nearly subjected to a dose of pepper spray, but more importantly the man that for the last two months she had been dating. It was Raj Koothrappali.

* * *

**4:20pm**

Twenty-four hours had passed since Penny's disappearance, by now the agonising wait for her to be found was taking an immense toll on the entire Hofstadter family. Together in the kitchen, holding hands across the table, Howard and Bernadette were glued to the TV news, while upstairs Leonard was spending some time alone time with Grace and Bobby, who as the hours went by without word of their mother, were becoming increasingly anxious and desperate. And with everyone's attention focused entirely on Penny, nobody had noticed that Albert was missing again.

"This all feels like the worst nightmare ever, only you don't get to wake up." Bernadette remarked, shaking her head in sorrow at the TV, where a very pushy red headed reporter had just directed a question toward Lieutenant Benson, asking about the likelihood of Penny being found alive.

"I know honey." Howard responded sadly.

The press conference drew to a close and the camera switched to a broadcast taking place in the street outside Leonard and Penny's house, where it seemed that the media had now taken up a permanent residence. A blond reporter with her hair styled in a slick bob began talking directly to camera.

"I'm now joined by James Speckerman, a high school friend of Dr Leonard Hofstadter." She said, turning to address Jimmy with a microphone, who judging by his satisfied smile was revelling in his five minutes of fame. "Mr Speckerman, with Penny now missing for a full 24 hours, how do you think Dr Hofstadter will be coping?"

"Can you believe the nerve of this guy?!" Howard yelled furiously at the TV, incensed that the man who had never been anything other than Leonard's high school bully had the audacity to claim to be his friend. "I've got a good mind to go out there and put them all straight on just exactly what kind of _'friend'_ Jimmy Speckerman was.." he spat out.

Grabbing Howard by the sleeve of his jacket as he made toward the door, Bernadette cautioned him against going outside, reminding him of how Leonard didn't want any of them talking to the media. "Howie, the last thing Leonard needs right now is you having a show down on camera with Jimmy Speckerman." she argued. "Imagine what the media will make of it."

As someone who'd suffered at the hands of bullies, Howard knew only to well what it was like to grow up constantly tormented by your peers. "I hate the guy." he cursed, his eyes flashing with anger. "If all this wasn't happening right now I'd go out there and wipe that smug smile off his face!"

"I know." Bernadette acknowledged, relieved that a what would have been a very public confrontation had been averted, but at the same time immensely proud of her husband for wanting to confront Jimmy Speckerman. "It's very sweet of you Howie to want to defend Leonard and I'm proud of you. I guess you never forget all the mean stuff that happened to you as a kid." she added, sighing deeply.

"You know out of all of us, it's only Penny who didn't have her childhood turned into a living hell by bullies." Howard commented after a moment of silent contemplation. Turning back to the TV Bernadette listened as Jimmy spoke of how he and Leonard had been what he termed as a '_comedy team'_ in high school, apparently always laughing and goofing around together. Filled with contempt for the man on the screen, she narrowed her eyes, her memory drifting back to the night many years ago when Leonard had agreed to meet with him in a bar, intent on securing an apology for all his wrong doings. And then she remembered. Rising from her seat at the table, Bernadette's heart began to thump wildly in her chest as the pieces of the jigsaw came together, allowing her to make the connection between the present and the past.

"Bernie, what is it?"

"The night you and the guys went with Leonard to meet Jimmy Speckerman." she began to explain. "We were talking about bullies and Penny said about a time in high school when she tied up a girl and left her in a cornfield overnight."

At first with what Bernadette was saying seemingly making no sense at all Howard frowned. "I don't understand." he said with a shrug.

"She tied her up _and_ put an ear of corn in her mouth." Bernadette clarified. "What if it's _her_ that's involved with Penny disappearance? What if this is all some kind of twisted revenge?" she hypothesised.

"Can you remember her name?" Howard questioned.

"I don't know. It was so long ago." Bernadette answered, frustrated she began to pace the kitchen floor back and forth, racking her brains for the name that hadn't been mentioned since that night in Penny's old apartment in December 2011.

"Was anybody else there when Penny told you about this?" Howard put to his wife.

Nodding Bernadette rummaged inside her purse, producing her cell phone. "Yeah, Amy was there too." she replied, remembering how along with her own story about the missing clothes and the elf costume in her locker, Amy had shared her experience of being bullied that night too. And as the phone began to ring Bernadette closed her eyes, hoping against hope that Amy was going to provide her with the vital answer..

* * *

Making a right turn into Orchard Street, Jake was little more than two blocks away from his intended destination, when out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a dog that closely resembled the Hofstadter's Labrador. Scanning the sidewalk for its owner, but seeing no one he came to the conclusion that it was lost, prompting him to pull over and park up at the side of the road. Getting out of his car, he cautiously approached the animal, managing to get close enough to read the tag on his collar.

"Albert?"

Cocking his head to one side Albert barked.

"What are you doing here by yourself buddy?" Jake wondered out loud, kneeling down and stroking his golden fur. "Come on let's get you back home."

Taking a firm hold of Albert's collar, Jake attempted to guide the Hofstadter's dog back to his car, but in doing so was met with resistance. With a low growl Albert began to tug, pulling Jake in the opposite direction toward a house which until now he'd paid no mind. Turning to look at the split level property, he became aware of a gentle tinkling sound coming from a set of wind chimes that were hanging on the porch above a swing and on the front door he could see a decorative wreath made entirely from ears of corn. Tugging again, this time Albert managed to break free from Jake's grasp, bounding toward the house and onto the porch where he began to bark wildly, jumping up and scratching at the front door as though his very life depended on getting inside. It was then that Jake noticed an object on the lawn, glinting as the sunlight reflected of it. Hurrying over to the spot near the driveway, he crouched down, seeing a gold heart shaped locket and chain lying in the overgrown grass. It was Penny's locket.

**I will try to update as soon as I can, but I'm entering a busy time so it might be a bit longer than usual. So apologies in advance if that proves to be the case.**


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